THE MONSTERS OF THIMK!

"Too bad you can't get blood out of a turnip".

- Otis Dracenstein

If you read yesterday's post (and if you didn't, I urge you to go back and read it and then come back here) you'll be wondering where the monsters fit in to a humor magazine with the offbeat title of THIMK. It didn't start happening until issue #3 (September 1958) with a "Special Monster Issue", sporting a cover showing comic characters of Dracula and the Frankenstein monster sharing what looks to be a blood soda.

Why all of a sudden would monsters appear -- seemingly unbidden -- in a magazine that had none until then? Well, I have my suspicions and after thimking it about it I came to the conclusion that it might have been the result of a certain 52-film package of monster movies that had been released on television the year before (October 1957) called SHOCK THEATER. Of course, SHOCK THEATER (marketed as simply SHOCK!) is the reason for the monster craze explosion that followed -- and really hasn't let up since.

Another reason is likely because said Shock Theater also spawned a slew of TV horror hosts hired on to various networks to introduce the films, stage skits and offer their kooky critiques. One of the early hosts was Zacherley who lit up the airwaves in Philadelphia and New York and was an overnight sensation. This could have led the folks at Counterpoint Inc. in New York to hitch their clown car on to Zacherly's undertaker's coattails. After all, they had nearly a year to watch the phenomenon grow.

So, behind the Drac/Frank cover rendered by Sam Hayle is an appearance by King Kong in the uncredited strip, "The Great Great Show" and the "Special Monster Issue" feature that introduces the character (and I do mean character) Otis Dracenstein. The strip, "A Day in the Life of a Monster" offers readers a glimpse of his life and what its like to be a monster in "normal" society.

Otis makes the cover of #4 (December 1958) and pops up throughout the issue, including in another strip of his own, "Otis Dracenstein At Homecoming". Otis' likeness is also offered on a t-shirt for sale at the back of the book.

Otis carries on in a similar fashion for the next two issues. While they don't quite make the commitment as MAD did with Alfred E. Neuman, Dracenstein seems to become THIMK's defacto mascot simply by virtue of his returning appearances in ad parodies and more strips (as well as using him as the mag's identity on the t-shirts).

Alas, THIMK folded after #6 (May 1959) and we'll never see if Otis Dracenstein made it to the New Year's office party or not. Instead, THIMK would be just become another humor magazine casualty that couldn't stand up against the King Kong of humor magazines, MAD.

THIMK #3

THIMK #4

THIMK #5

THIMK #6

TIME TO STOP AND THIMK!

While on the subject of MAD magazine and Alfred E. Neuman I remembered this obscure humor publication from the 1950's that appears to have a small but cult-ish following among monster fans (all will be revealed later). But first, a little context.

MAD #4 (April/May 1953) by Kurtzman and Wood.

When MAD first hit the stands it lost money. Nevertheless, sometimes fortune also favors the foolish, and with a parody in issue #4 (April/May 1953) of the popular Man of Steel ("Superduperman") it was suddenly a surprise hit and one that Bill Gaines and his merry men had the collective genius to finally pull off, thanks in large part to the leadership (and wit) of the brilliant Harvey Kurtzman. Despite its large print-run and circulation many cite MAD as being the first underground comic book. Word got around and soon there were other imitators springing up like mushrooms with titles like NUTS, WHACK!, UNSANE and BUGHOUSE.

Then the Comics Code Authority reared its ugly head and Gaines, not wanting his new-born baby to go out with the bathwater, took a chance -- just in case -- and turned MAD into a full-sized, slick magazine, a format the Code couldn't touch. Gaines knew he had something when the staff payed a visit to the printer in Brooklyn and saw that even the operators reading it right off the press were roaring with laughter. Word got around and soon there were other imitators springing up like mushrooms with titles like TRUMP (published by Hugh Hefner and edited by Kurtzman when he left MAD after giving Gaines an unreasonable financial ultimatum, and poaching, among others, Jack Davis and Will Elder), HUMBUG (creator-financed and published by Kurtzman) and HELP! (published by Warren and edited by Kurtzman).

Satire (1936), Laff (1947), Picture Fun (1951), Grin (1957).

In 1958, Counterpoint Inc., a New York-based publisher headed by one Adrian Lopez threw its dunce cap in the ring with their own humor magazine. Born in 1906 in England of Spanish and Irish ancestry, Lopez had already published numerous humor magazines over the years beginning as far back as the 1930's. Known as a "niche publisher" he put out a wide variety of titles, including men's adventure magazines like MR., SIR!, JUMBO MAN'S MAGAZINE and SOUTH SEA STORIES (not to be confused with the Ziff-Davis pulp magazine of the same name). These 'zines relied on some pretty wild titles emblazoned on their covers: "Why Homos Hate Elvis", "The Woman Who Ate Her Lovers Alive", "Human Studs in Arabia", and "Isles of Lonely Women" just to name a few.

The first issue of THIMK hit the stands with a cover date of May 1958. The zany title is possibly a reference to the slogan coined by sales and ad manager Thomas J. Watson of the National Cash Register Company in 1911. During a meeting he decided to give the sales force a little jolt by saying, "We don't get paid for working with our feet — we get paid for working with our heads". He then wrote the single word "THINK" on an easel. A few years later he brought his slogan with him to the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company which later became IBM. It's more likely, however, that the title THIMK was a riff on MAD #23 (May 1955) that had just the word "THINK" under the cover title (which probably was a reference to Watson's slogan!). In their fourth issue they took a straight poke at MAD which I'm sure didn't please Gaines much.

MAD #23 (May 1955)

THIMK's editor was Allan Whitney who worked for DC in the 1930's and after his stint with THIMK went on to become a prominent New York newspaperman. The writers and artists went uncredited until the fourth issue. Avon/Fox/Fiction House comic book artist Alvin Hollingsworth's name shows up as "Holly" a few times. Sam Hayle provided covers and interiors and also worked for other humor 'zines such as FRENZY, JACKPOT and CRACKED. Writer and artist A.E. "Al" Sargent contributes here and there. Sargent also produced work for Pocket Magazine's TV GIRLS AND GAGS and Marvel's GEE-WHIZ! in the 1950's. Other writers were Good Old Bob Drews, Paul Laikin and Bob Wood. Other artists listed were Don Douglas, Martin Friedman, Bill Riley, Bob Wood and Syd Shores (!). In any event, it's likely that Whitney and publisher Lopez had a sizable talent pool of cartoonists and gag writers to draw on (pun intended?) from Counterpoint's other long string of humor books.

Some have written that THIMK was written for younger kids, but I find the humor leans more towards adults. Overall, it's obvious that it was clearly intended as a MAD clone in many ways. The art and design is more reminiscent of the pocket humor mag era that was on the eclipse, while MAD was producing a slick, sophisticated and dare I say more relevant publication that was pretty much light years beyond anyone else. Still, there's a bit of pretty decent stuff to be seen in the six issues of THIMK, which ran for exactly a year. Along with many other competitors, it was the idiots at MAD that had the last laugh.

Thimk I'm done with this topic? Thimk again! Check back tomorrow for more humerous thotz.